One of the most powerful aspects of simulation modeling is the ability to observe a model as it evolves and to gather valuable statistics at any given moment. Collecting and displaying this data is an integral part of any simulation project. As a model developer, you need to know exactly what data to capture, how to get it, and how to present it for analysis.
AnyLogic has always provided a robust toolkit for this—from data analysis items and charts to pre-designed and detailed model execution logs.
Now, we are excited to introduce one more powerful feature to streamline this process: the Chart creation wizard.
Contents:
- Overview
- See it in action
- What can you visualize?
- From charts to dashboards
- Try it now with AnyLogic 8.9.6
Overview
The new Chart Creation Wizard is accessible directly from the context menu of flowchart blocks and markup elements.
This tool automatically identifies the key statistics collected by the selected element and guides you through the process of building basic charts, significantly accelerating your workflow.
It is currently available for elements from the Process Modeling Library and the Material Handling Library.
The wizard displays a list of all statistics gathered by the element you've selected. It then suggests a range of relevant chart types with the appropriate data items pre-configured, helping you avoid syntax errors and guesswork. Simply choose the statistics you want to display, the preferred chart type, and the desired metrics. It's straightforward and efficient.
If you’re new to working with model data, visit our AnyLogic Help for a quick overview of other tools, including data analysis items, charts, inspection windows, and model execution logs.
See it in action
Let's see how the wizard works, using the Rack System with AGV model as an example.
In this model, AGVs transport boxes from a conveyor to reserved cells in a storage system, moving along a network. The model includes both 2D and 3D visualizations but does not collect or display statistical data.
1. Visualizing AGV states
By launching the wizard for the block representing the AGV fleet, we can build a chart showing the distribution of AGV states. A Pie Chart is the perfect choice for this purpose. The wizard lists all available state statistics, and with just a few clicks, we can generate the chart, choosing only the states we want to display.
Once created, the chart appears next to the block. You can then move, resize, and customize it like any other AnyLogic chart.
2. Monitoring rack utilization
The model contains four racks that belong to a unified storage system. To observe the utilization of the entire system, we can call the wizard on the RackSystem block. A Time Stack Chart will effectively show how utilization evolves over time.
For more detailed insights, the wizard can also be applied to individual rack elements.
3. Analyzing aisle traffic
Visualizing traffic in the aisles between racks is equally simple. Using the wizard, we can create a Bar Chart for a single aisle.
Then, we can easily add similar data items for the other aisles directly in the chart's properties, creating a comprehensive view of traffic flow across the entire warehouse.
What can you visualize?
Depending on the element you select, the wizard suggests element-specific statistics. Here are some common statistics you can instantly visualize:
- Entries: For blocks with ports, this is the number of agents that have passed through.
- States: For elements with operational states, this shows the time spent in each state.
- Utilization: For resources and equipment, this displays the workload volume (e.g., fraction of operating time, mean utilization, or occupancy ratio), always within the range [0, 1].
- MTBF/MTTR: Key reliability metrics, including mean time between failures (MTBF) and mean time to repair (MTTR).
- WIP (Work in Progress): For elements that process agents, this shows the number of items in various states (e.g., active, busy, processed, stored, reserved, etc.).
You can view descriptions of the metrics for each statistic directly in the wizard.
From charts to dashboards
Now, it's time to finalize the charts by adding clear titles to data items, adjusting their appearance, and configuring data update intervals as needed.
The charts generated by the wizard can then easily be assembled into a professional, real-time dashboard that provides at-a-glance insights into the model's performance.
This way, the Chart creation wizard makes data visualization faster, simpler, and more accessible.
Try it now with AnyLogic 8.9.6
The Chart creation wizard is one of the core updates in the AnyLogic 8.9.6 release. We do hope that this new feature will make working with data more seamless and convenient. Update to the latest version of AnyLogic and discover how it can transform the way you explore and present your simulation data.
If you want to learn more about the updates included in the 8.9.6 release, please check the release notes in AnyLogic Help.
